The Olmec heads are among the largest non-architectural monuments ever discovered in Mexico, ranging between roughly 3.5 and 11.5 feet in height and weighing up to eight tons, with the largest of them weighing a head-spinning 45 tons. They all have a similar appearance, one strikingly similar to that of modern-day indigenous groups living in southern Mexico, featuring large cheekbones and flat noses.
Researchers have found evidence that a giant “lid” made of magma could be stopping the supervolcano in Yellowstone National Park from erupting.
As detailed in a paper published in the journal Nature last month, a team of researchers discovered a “volatile-rich cap” a mere 2.36 miles below the surface, trapping pressure and heat below it.
In fact, the researchers believe the obstruction may be what’s preventing the volcanic system from erupting — a blast that’s happened several times previously in the history of our planet, and which could have devastating consequences for civilization if it happened again.
